Steam reforming is a chemical process by which hydrocarbon and steam react to form hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The reaction is strongly endothermic.
The reactor in which this process takes place is a reformer.
One type of reformer consists of a furnace, equipped with a number of tubes filled with an appropriate reforming catalyst. Hydrocarbon and steam flow through the reformer tubes. Burners in the furnace supply the heat, which is transferred to the reformer tubes in which the endothermic reforming reaction takes place.
The burners of a reformer furnace may be arranged in different ways. One of the best ways is to place a large number of burners on the furnace walls in such a way that the walls are heated and reflect this heat by radiation to the reformer tubes. The general object of this invention is to provide a reformer furnace that releases heat to the tubes from a large surface of uniform high temperature rather than from the small and very hot volume of a flame.